Since the deregulation of the long distance telephone network, and the emergence of a number of long distance carriers vying for equal access to and from regulated operating company central office facilities, a need has arisen to confirm the accuracy of automatic message accounting ("AMA") data collected at each central office facility. This data forms the basis for charging for long distance toll calls, irrespective of the long distance carrier or class of service. Its accuracy must be verified in order to protect not only the telephone subscriber population base, but also the regulated operating companies and the competing long distance carriers.
Of course, one problem is to verify that long distance toll charges are accurately calculated and accurately posted to the appropriate subscriber's account. While gross inaccuracies will be detected by alert subscribers who audit their telephone service bills, slight inaccuracies may likely go undetected. Another significant problem with AMA data is that some long distance calls slip through the accounting system without ever being logged for billing purposes, thereby depriving the long distance carrier whose path was used of duly earned revenue.
Automatic dialing routiners are known in the prior art. Such equipment typically has the capability for dialing a one or more telephone numbers in a prearranged sequence automatically. Typically, such routiners may be used to deliver advertising messages to, or conduct surveys of, telephone subscribers on a preselected or random selection basis. They may also be used to make test telephone calls on a call by call basis.
Each central office facility within the domestic telephone network typically provides one or more special numbers for testing purposes. Typically, these special telephone numbers return a test signal or condition when dialed up. One commonly found test condition is a low level audio tone, typically at 1000 Hertz. These special telephone numbers are known within the telephone network to those who have a requirement for their use.
A hitherto unsolved need has arisen for telephone system test equipment for automatically testing the accuracy of automatic message accounting data accumulated at a central office relating to long distance tolls by placing multiple simultaneous toll calls to preknown test numbers of distant central offices, detecting successful completion of such toll calls and recording the time thereof for comparison with parallel AMA data accumulated at the call origination central office facility.